Improvement in toy building-blocks



E. U. KINSEY.

'ro BUILDING-BLOCKS.

No.1=69,709. I Patented 1m. 9, 1875 UNITED $TA'I'Es PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST U. KINSEY, OF PASSAIO, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOY BUILDING-BLOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,709, dated November 9, 1875; application filled October 8, 1875.

This block is a piece of wood or other suita blc material in a form resembling what is known as a Grecian figure. The openings or slots correspond to the tongues,so that the blocks or pieces can be set together or inter- ?rocked and form a highly ornamental and attractive toy, that can he used for making letters, numbers, frames for pictures, and brackets. These can serve the purpose intended so long as required, and then be taken apart and the blocks used to form some other article. Thus these blocks become very serviceable, and ali'ord both instruction and amusement to those using tn'eln.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view 01' a single block, and Fig. 2 is asimilar view illustrative of the manner of placing them together.

The block has a general outline that is square, and the said block may be of greater or less thickness, or cubical. I have shown the thickness as about one-third to one-fourththe length of one side,

A groove, (1, is cut in each side of the block parallel with the adjacent side, and leaving a tongue, b, of a thickness corresponding to the width of the groove, and these grooves a and tongues b are similarly disposed at each corner, and hence the middle portion of the block is in the form ot'a cross.

The interlocking of one block with the next is at the corners hence said blocks stand diagonally to one another, but they can he put together to form squares, oblongs, letters, figures, numbers, and a variety of' other devices both useful and ornamental.

It is. usually preferable to make strips or bars of wood of a square section, and saw the grooves a longitudinal of such bars, and then interlock five bars in the manner illustrated by Fig. 2, and saw off slabs of the required thickness, and each slab will be of the form shown in said Fig. 2, and the blocks can for convenience be sold in this form, and afterward be separated for use or amusement.

I claim as my invention The toy huildinghlock, with the grooves a and tongues b placed around a square block at the angles thereof, so as to interlock, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 6th day of October, 1875.

'ERNEST U. KINSEY. Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINGKNEY, GEo. D. WALKER. 

